Kim Young Un declares 2025 as the year of military training and oversees artillery competitions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw an artillery competition between units of the Korean People's Army, as reported by the North Korean Central News Agency. This came after a party meeting held on Wednesday, focusing on enhancing the army's capabilities. Kim emphasized the importance of conducting frequent live-fire competitions simulating real war conditions to train artillery forces to accurately hit targets at any time and in any situation. Kim described intensive training demand as the shortcut to building a strong army, emphasizing that prioritizing training is an expression of absolute loyalty to the ruling party. The competition overseen by Kim took place among artillery units belonging to joint units of the People's Army, accompanied by Park Jong Chon, Deputy Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling party, along with a group of senior military officials including Defense Minister No Kwang Chol, Chief of the General Staff Ri Yong Gil, and General Political Bureau Director Jong Kyong Thaek. Kim declared 2025 as a year of military training and has since overseen numerous military activities, stressing the importance of intensive training to acquire modern warfare capabilities. He also praised the qualitative changes witnessed by the artillery forces to enhance their capabilities in line with the requirements and changes of modern warfare. These movements reflect North Korea's desire to enhance the readiness of its forces and develop its military technologies amid increasing regional tensions, confirming the leadership's commitment to building a strong army prepared for any potential confrontation.